Manchester International Festival in the money as £2m pours in

12:07, 16 November 2012

ByManchester Evening News

The fourth Manchester International Festival is on course to attract more private sponsorship than any other festival in the country. Fundraising from commercial and individual sponsors for next year’s cultural extravaganza has already passed the £2m mark – 75 per cent of the target.

The fourth Manchester International Festival is on course to attract more private sponsorship than any other festival in the country.

Fundraising from commercial and individual sponsors for next year’s cultural extravaganza has already passed the £2m mark – 75 per cent of the target.

Top-tier sponsors signed up so far include property giant Bruntwood, the Co-operative Group, Manchester Airports Group, NCP and PZ Cussons.

All the companies are returning sponsors, with many having supported MIF since it was first held in 2007. The M.E.N – which will again be a media partner of the festival – revealed yesterday that one of the headline acts for next July’s event will be Sir Kenneth Branagh. The actor-director will play Macbeth in a deconsecrated church in central Manchester.

Philip Spedding, director of Art & Business, a charitable organisation set up to help arts and business work together for mutual benefit, said: "MIF is a remarkable success story.

"We believe it is now on course to become the biggest UK festival in terms of private-sector support."

Festival director Alex Poots said: "Manchester’s business community is again putting its weight behind the festival, matching the excellent example set by our public funders - Manchester City Council, Salford City Council and Arts Council England.

"We are grateful to all our sponsors and funders for their commitment in what continues to be a very testing time for business, the arts and the public sector across the country."

Andrew Harrison from Manchester Airport said: "The Manchester International Festival is something different and brings an international focus to our city, drawing additional visitors from around the world and allowing artists of great stature to perform."

MIF receives 40 per cent of its funding from the public sector – including £2m from Manchester council – with the remaining 60 per cent coming from sponsors, co-commisioning, ticket sales and donations.

Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese said: "We’re really proud to support Manchester International Festival and it is great to see that some of the biggest names in in the private sector also recognise MIF’s real value."

An independent study into the last festival held in 2011 found that it boosted the city’s economy by £37.6m.

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